Bat Swing Training Aid

ABSTRACT

A bat swing training aid having a bat portion with a handle having a first end comprising a knob, a second end comprising a barrel section, and an intermediate transition section, and a barrel portion having at least one open end and comprising a substantially cylindrical receptacle configured to receive and frictionally engage a ball such as, for example, a tennis ball. with a holding force such that the ball is released whenever the bat is swung in a batting motion by a user.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to baseball and, more particularly, to a device that is useful for training a baseball batter how to swing a bat in order to improve the ability of the batter to make contact between the bat and a pitched ball and also how to swing a bat in order to better control the direction a ball is hit when batting.

2. Description of Related Art

Many amateur baseball batters are taught different strategies or training routines intended to improve hand-to-eye coordination, improve swing mechanics and the ability of a batter to make contact with a pitched ball, and achieve better directional control over a batted ball.

Various training aids for batters have also previously been disclosed, including without limitation so-called training bats that are marketed under registered and/or unregistered trademarks such as Clicker Bat, ProHammer, Muhl Kicker, Plastic Bat Rac, The Slide Bat (also called The Swing Bat), and Insider Bat, most of which are advertised, for example, at: http://www.webball.com/cms/page1808.cfm (Aug. 21, 2012).

Notwithstanding any advantages or disadvantages of these products, a training bat is disclosed herein having unique features not previously disclosed that, when properly used, safely, effectively and comparatively inexpensively improve the ability of a batter to make contact with a pitched ball over home plate and to improve directional control over the flight path of a batted ball.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The apparatus of the invention preferably utilizes a bat having a weight and feel similar to that of an actual bat, but does not require the use of a pitcher or pitching machine to replicate closely the direction of flight of a pitched baseball when struck by a bat using the same or a similar hitting motion. Because a tennis ball, rather than a conventional baseball, is used in the apparatus of the invention, there is also a significantly reduced likelihood of damage or injury to nearby physical property or to a bystander. The apparatus of the invention can easily be used in proximity to an obstruction such as a fence, wall, net or the like, that is disposed for example in a residential yard or even indoors, and avoids the need for a fielder or other means of ball retrieval over distances farther removed from the batter.

One satisfactory apparatus of the invention comprises a handle having the same general shape and configuration as a conventional wood or metal bat in combination with a generally cylindrical, open-ended barrel section having an inside diameter configured to receive, frictionally engage, and releasably confine a conventional tennis ball inside the generally cylindrical barrel portion until sufficient force is generated by swinging the bat to expel the tennis ball from the barrel along a flight path that generally corresponds to the flight direction of a pitched ball struck in the same position relative to the batter as the position at which the tennis ball separated from the bat. The direction of flight of the tennis ball from the bat to an obstruction proximal to the batter is easily observed visually by the batter according to the point at which the tennis ball strikes the obstruction.

One preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a bat swing training aid wherein the bat portion comprises an increasing outward taper of the handle and transition to the barrel having an outside diameter such that a conventional “donut-shaped” bat weight can be used during a batter's warm-up as in the on-deck circle at a baseball field. The bat weight can be applied to the bat over the knob at the opposite end of the handle and moved along the handle until it is stopped and frictionally engaged by an outside diameter of the barrel that is greater than the inside diameter of the bat weight. The use of such conventional bat weights is not possible with many of the other known training bats currently being marketed.

Many other structural features, alternative designs, materials and utilities further characterizing the subject bat swing training aids are further disclosed and described below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The apparatus of the invention is further described and explained in relation to the following drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of one satisfactory embodiment of a bat swing training aid of the invention, including a tennis ball disposed inside the open end of the barrel;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the bat swing training aid of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional detail elevation view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is top plan view looking downwardly into the generally cylindrical open barrel portion of FIG. 5;

FIG. 5 is an elevation view of the generally cylindrical open barrel portion of FIG. 3 that better illustrates the substantially constant inner and outer diameters of the lower section and the outwardly tapering inner and outer diameters of the upper section;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view looking downwardly into another satisfactory embodiment of the generally cylindrical open barrel portion shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is another satisfactory embodiment of the bat portion of a differently configured bat swing training aid of the invention wherein the bat handle, knob and barrel portions are all unitarily molded from any durable, moldable polymeric material that is suitable for the intended use;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional front elevation view of the bat portion of FIG. 8 taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a top perspective view of still another satisfactory embodiment of the bat swing training aid of the invention comprising a generally cylindrical open barrel portion having a beveled end, and also showing in phantom outline a conventional “donut-type” bat weight frictionally wedged onto a transition section of the bat between the handle and barrel portions; and

FIG. 11 is a front elevation view, partially in section and partially broken away, of the barrel portion of the bat swing training aid of FIG. 10.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1-5, bat swing training aid 20 of the invention as shown comprises a bat handle 22 with a knob 27 at one end and a transition section 24 at a second end that engages barrel sleeve 26 a, 26 b having a proximal end 38 and a distal end 36 that is transverse to a centrally disposed longitudinal axis through bat handle 22. Ball 28, preferably a tennis ball, is disposed in frictional engagement with the interior sidewall 34 that cooperates with end surface 31 of transition section 24 to form a receptacle for ball 28 inside barrel sleeve 26 a, 26 b. Ball 28 is preferably disposed just inside distal end 36.

As shown, bat handle 22 can be made of wood and barrel sleeve 26 a, 26 b (FIGS. 1 and 2) can be made of a durable polymeric material. It will be appreciated upon reading this disclosure, however, that bat handle 22, transition section 24 and knob 26 can also be made of metal or a polymeric material, in which case some interior portions of bat handle 22 and transition zone 24 may be hollow, as disclosed for example in an alternative embodiment as shown in FIG. 9. When barrel sleeve 26 a, 26 b is made separately from bat handle 22, and depending upon the materials and particular configurations used, the two parts can be attached in fixed engagement to each other by press fitting one to the other, by welding, by the use of adhesives, or by providing other known conventional connecting elements or structures (such as threads, for example). For safety reasons, any such elements or structures should provide reasonable assurance to the user that the barrel sleeve will not disengage from the transition section or the bat handle and become a projectile during use.

At least one aperture or opening 25 is desirably disposed rearwardly of the circle of engagement between ball 28 and interior sidewall 34 to provide visual confirmation to a user that ball 28 is seated inside the receptacle of barrel sleeve 26 a without having to turn bat swing training aid 20 far enough around to look into the opening at distal end 36. Aperture 25 can provide additional functionality as a vacuum breaker behind ball 28 in some circumstances, although the compression of air behind ball 28 when no aperture is present can also have the effect of offsetting some of the frictional holding force that must be overcome to expel ball 28 from barrel sleeve 26 a when a user swings bar swing training aid 20 in a batting motion.

Referring more specifically to FIGS. 2 and 3-5, interior sidewall 34 of barrel sleeve 26 a, 26 b is most preferably substantially cylindrical in section 26 b, with a substantially constant inside diameter 43 and an outside diameter that is greater by the wall thickness of barrel sleeve 26 b. In barrel sleeve 26 a, interior sidewall 34 tapers outwardly relative to the longitudinal axis through bat handle 22 between barrel sleeve section 26 b and distal end 36 of barrel sleeve section 26 a. The degree of taper is desirably such that ball 28 can be lodged releasably inside barrel section 26 a and that the frictional engagement between ball 28 and interior wall 34 will exert a holding force on ball 28 that is sufficient to maintain ball 28 inside barrel sleeve section 26 a during loading and handling until bat handle 22 is swung in a batting motion by a user. Referring to FIG. 5, the inside diameter of barrel sleeve 26 a increases from inside diameter 43 of barrel sleeve section 26 b at proximal end 38 to inside diameter 40 at distal end 36. Outside diameter 42 at distal end 36 is typically also greater than the outside diameter of barrel sleeve section 26 b. Ball 28 can desirably be loaded into barrel sleeve 26 a by manually inserting it or by pushing bat handle 22 and attached distal end 36 of barrel sleeve 26 a downwardly over a ball 28 resting on an underlying support surface (for example, the ground or a floor).

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, another embodiment of substantially cylindrical barrel sleeve 46 is shown that is similar to barrel sleeve 26 a, 26 b but has substantially constant inside and outside diameters between proximal end 54 and distal end 50 prior to inserting a ball into receptacle 48 of barrel sleeve 46. Because a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart, elongate slots 52 are provided around distal end 50, the tabs thereby formed can flex radially outward to a limited degree when a ball is inserted into barrel sleeve 46, thereby allowing a ball to be inserted and held by frictional engagement prior to swinging the bat handle (not shown) to which barrel sleeve 46 is attached. Elongate slots 52 can also provide a visual indicator that a ball is disposed inside barrel sleeve 46.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, a bat swing training aid 60 is disclosed that comprises a unitary construction as can be produced, for example, by processing a single block of wood or metal using a lathe and other tools, or by casting metal, or by injection molding a moldable polymeric material. As shown, bat handle 80 is made of a thermoplastic polymer. In this embodiment of the invention, bat swing training aid 60 comprises a bat handle 62 with a knob 66 at its first end. Bat handle 62 transitions at its second end into substantially cylindrical barrel sleeve section 64 having a distal end 68 and a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart elongate slots 70 allowing for releasable insertion of a ball (not shown) such as a tennis ball into receptacle 74 (FIG. 9). As viewed in FIG. 9, void interior portions such as chamber 76 of bat handle 62 can be provided to reduce weight and the amount of material used. Cross-bracing 78, 80 is desirably provided to lend structural integrity to bat swing training aid 60.

Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, another satisfactory embodiment of the bat swing training aid is disclosed that has an oblique opening at distal end 98 of barrel sleeve 92. In this embodiment, bat swing training aid 90 comprises bat handle 94 with knob 96 disposed at one end and barrel sleeve portion 92 disposed at the other. Ball 100, preferably a tennis ball, is disposed inside substantially cylindrical receptacle 110 in such manner that the most forwardly extending surface portion of ball 100 is disposed proximally to distal end 98 of barrel sleeve portion 92. Referring to FIG. 11, it is seen that ball 100 frictionally engages inside wall 108 of barrel sleeve portion 92. Barrel sleeve portion 92 also has an underlying sleeve portion 106 that is disposed in fixed relation to recessed plug 104 at the second end of bat handle 94. As previously mentioned, fixed attachment or engagement between plug 104 and barrel sleeve portion 106 can be provided by using known, commercially available technology, compositions and devices. A donut-type bat weight 108 is shown in phantom outline is a position illustrating how it can be used in combination with bat swing training aid 90 of the invention.

Generally speaking, the bat swing training aid of the invention is desirably used much like a conventional baseball bat, with a principal advantage over prior art devices being that a ball softer than a baseball can be used to provide visual confirmation to a batter how the flight path of the ball can vary by the use of different swing mechanics. Other alterations and modifications of the invention will likewise become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading this specification in view of the accompanying drawings, and it is intended that the scope of the invention disclosed herein be limited only by the broadest interpretation of the appended claims to which the inventor is legally entitled. 

I claim:
 1. A bat swing training aid comprising: a bat handle portion further comprising a knob at a first end, a barrel portion disposed at a second end, and a transition section disposed between the first and second ends; and a the barrel portion further comprising a substantially cylindrical receptacle having proximal and distal ends, an interior sidewall disposed between the proximal and distal ends, and an opening at the distal end, the receptacle being configured to receive and frictionally engage a ball with a holding force so that the ball is thereafter released through the opening whenever the bat handle portion is swung in a batting motion by a user.
 2. The bat swing training aid of claim 1 wherein the receptacle is configured to receive and frictionally engage a tennis ball.
 3. The bat swing training aid of claim 1 wherein the bat handle portion and barrel portion are integrally formed.
 4. The bat swing training aid of claim 3 wherein the bat handle portion and barrel portion are unitarily molded from a moldable polymeric material.
 5. The bat swing training aid of claim 3 wherein the bat handle portion and barrel portion are made of wood or metal.
 6. The bat swing training aid of claim 1 wherein the bat handle portion is made of a material selected from the group consisting of wood, metal or plastic.
 7. The bat swing training aid of claim 1 wherein the barrel portion is made of a material selected from the group consisting of wood, metal or plastic.
 8. The bat swing training aid of claim 1 wherein the barrel portion is press-fit together with the handle portion.
 9. The bat swing training aid of claim 1 wherein the barrel portion is joined to the handle portion using an adhesive or by welding.
 10. The bat swing training aid of claim 1 further comprising a ball inserted into the receptacle and releasably held in a position disposed between the proximal and distal ends.
 11. The bat swing training aid of claim 10 wherein the ball is a tennis ball.
 12. The bat swing training aid of claim 1 wherein the substantially cylindrical receptacle has an interior sidewall section that tapers outwardly toward the distal end.
 13. The bat swing training aid of claim 1 wherein a surface portion of the ball is disposed proximally to the opening at the distal end of the barrel portion when inserted into the receptacle.
 14. The bat swing training aid of claim 1 wherein at least one aperture or opening is provided in the substantially cylindrical sidewall through which a user can determine by looking at a side of the barrel whether a ball is disposed inside the barrel.
 15. The bat swing training aid of claim 13 wherein a plurality of diametrically opposed apertures are provided.
 16. The bat swing training aid of claim 1 comprising an opening in a sidewall of the receptacle and behind a ball inserted into the receptacle.
 17. The bat swing training aid of claim 1 wherein the opening at the distal end of the barrel portion is inclined relative to the inside diameter of the barrel portion at the distal end.
 18. The bat swing training aid of claim 1 wherein the distal end of the barrel portion comprises a plurality of elongate, circumferentially spaced-apart slots disposed adjacent to the distal end.
 19. The bat swing training aid of claim 1 wherein the barrel portion comprises a sleeve having a continuous, longitudinally extending opening through the barrel portion and wherein the bat handle portion comprises a plug insertable into fixed engagement with the barrel portion.
 20. The bat swing training aid of claim 1 wherein the barrel portion comprises a substantially cylindrical interior sidewall section and an outwardly tapered interior sidewall section. 